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While watching a dream sequence in a movie, or attending a classical concert, you may have heard music with a mysterious, ethereal sound unlike any familiar musical instrument. It’s possible this music could have come from an instrument invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1761.[1] Known as the glass harmonica, or armonica, this musical instrument consists of a graduated series of rotating glass bowls that produces tones when the musician holds a moistened finger against the bowls.[2]

In the 19th century, glass harmonicas fell into disuse due to changing musical tastes and the rumor that the harmonica's sound could cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms, including insanity.[3] However, since the late 20th century there has been a resurgence of interest in the instrument. Read on to discover how you can make music from glass.

Steps

Method1

Finding a Glass Harmonica

1

Buy an instrument. In the 21st century, finding an instrument to play can be a challenge. But it is not impossible.

Purchase a glass harmonica online. One of the last manufacturers of modern-day instruments is G. Finkbeiner, located in Waltham, MA. According to their catalog, prices for a glass armonica begin at just over $8100.

If you don't have thousands of dollars to spend, there are alternatives.

2

Create a glass harp. You can make a wine or water glass "sing" by running your finger around the rim. With a set of glasses, you can make a musical instrument with a sound remarkably similar to Ben Franklin's invention.

Assemble a set of glassware. To create an instrument with a chromatic range of two octaves, you will need 25 glasses. For best results, use crystal glassware. The glasses don't need to be identical, but should be the same height for ease of playing.

Select and tune the first glass by gently tapping on it or running your finger around the rim. Add water to the glass to lower the pitch until it plays the desired note. Use a guitar tuner, available online or at a music store, or download an app to your computer or phone.[4]

Take a glass of the same size as the first and add water until it is at the same level as the first glass. Test the pitch, then remove enough water to make the glass sound one half-step higher than the previous glass. Continue until you have tuned the glasses to complete the instrument.

Use a permanent marker to indicate the appropriate water level, if desired.

Set the tuned glasses on a firm base, making sure the glasses are attached to the base to avoid the glasses moving or falling over.

3

Make a one-glass harp. You can also make a glass produce tones by submerging it in a basin of water and running your finger along the rim in the same manner as a glass harp. With some practice you can play music without having to tune a set of glasses.[5]

Method2

Playing the Glass Harmonica

1

Make sure your hands and the instrument are clean. Playing the instrument is based on the principle of friction, causing the glass bowls to vibrate.[6] Oils on your hand or the glass bowls will affect the instrument's ability to produce sound.

2

Have a container of water handy. To create friction, you need to keep your fingers wet as you play.

For best results, use water containing minerals. Mountain spring water works well.[7]

3

Set the glass bowls in motion. Depending on your instrument, you will have a pedal or electrical motor to start the harmonica.

4

Hold your fingers to the bowls. There is no right or wrong way to play the bowls. Try different fingerings until you get the sound you want.

In theory you can play 10 notes at one time.

To change notes, simply move to another bowl.

Method3

Playing the Glass Harp

1

Set up the glasses. The glasses should be filled to sound the appropriate tones.

2

Arrange the glasses to suit your convenience.

The most common way to arrange the glasses is in a chromatic scale, similar to a piano keyboard.[8]

3

Wet your finger and run it around the glass rim until you get the desired sound.

It is possible to play more than one note at a time depending on your dexterity.

Article Info

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. Together, they cited 9 references. This article has also been viewed 3,789 times.